Morning Player Notes in the Playoffs (Apr 15)

Are you tired of Braden Holtby yet?  No?  Well, that's good, because this is just the beginning and it's off with a pop.  Holtby's 19 saves were all that was needed for the Capitals to take a 1-0 series lead over the Flyers after a 2-0 win.  The shutout meant that Holtby came away with 4 points on the night, but in the pool, he appears on 72% of the selection sheets, so it was a whitewash on the standings.

Marcus Johansson was an offensive catalyst in the game, picking up a pair of assists in the game, and a pretty good boost to the three teams that chose him in the pool this year.

Before this game, Flyers defenseman Evgeny Medvedev was made into a healthy scratch and may stay that way through the series barring injury.  During the game, forward Sean Couturier was rocked by Alex Ovechkin, forcing him from the game with an upper-body injury and there are some reports that have surfaced that suggest that Couturier has suffered a sprained shoulder and his series could be done.  Neither Medvedev or Couturier were taken among the 50 entries, so this news relates more to how quickly Washington could plow through Philadelphia.

The series between the Islanders and the Panthers has the makings of a bare knuckle boxing match, as these two were throwing some proverbial punches in a 5-4 victory for the team from Brooklyn.  Yes, the Islanders walked into BB&T Center and hung with the Panthers, as they traded goals back and forth in the 1st and 2nd periods, before the Islanders jumped to their first lead of the game in the 3rd period and hung on for the bell.

This could be the series to watch, if things continue like this.

John Tavares and Ryan Strome were the Islanders of note in this one, each coming away with 3 points for the pool, as the underdogs raised a couple eyebrows last night.  Both Tavares and Strome were each taken three times in the pool, giving their production some punch in the pool.

Other notable Islanders included Kyle Okposo and Frans Nielsen, each coming out with a goal and an assist as well.

On Florida's side, Reilly Smith and Jussi Jokinen had 3 points each for the losing side, as the team lacked depth for the win in this one.

Looking at the Dallas Stars coming into these playoffs, I am pretty sure the word shutout was never really in the conversation, rather their series would be more like the Long Island/Florida series above, trading goals, hoping they get one more than the Wild.  With the Wild down two significant forwards, their offense would seriously be lacking confidence and the 4-0 scoreline for the home team does seem a little more plausible, when it is put that way.

The Wild only pumped 22 shots on the Dallas net, which made Kari Lehtonen's shutout a little easier, as the Finnish netminder walked away with 4 points on the night.  Believe it or not, one team actually has taken a flyer on Lehtonen and the Stars in these playoffs and the spoils come early for that selection.

Jamie Benn was the offensive leader in the pool, walking away with 3 points on the night, while Jason Spezza was the only other pool player with a multiple-point game, picking up a goal and an assist of his own.

It was another good slugfest at the Staples Center in Los Angeles last night and again, it was the road team that came out ahead, as the Sharks outlasted the Kings in the 3rd period, after taking a 3-2 lead, 17 seconds into the final frame and defended admirably to take a 1-0 series lead away from the Shark Tank.  This certainly has the makings of becoming a magical playoff rivalry, especially if it goes seven games like this.

Joe Pavelski was the hero for the Sharks and our poolies, as he scored a pair of goals, including the winner, for a 3-point night.  Pavelski was taken once in the pool, so it was a good night, keeping pace with the Box 1 crowd.

Martin Jones, the underdog goalie, taken twice, earned a couple points for the win, besting the box favourite, Jonathan Quick for the decision.  Joel Ward and Brent Burns also came away with 2 points each and they are both figuring into the pool with a handful of selections, so an upset here would be devastating to many teams.

We'll have a welcome message, now that we've finished entering all the teams into the pool and we can give out what the verdict is for each series, according to the numbers.